The Merchant of Venice
by Mystery Girl 911
Summary: Eric Forman needs money to travel to Belmont and win over the fair Donna. He is broke and asks his best friend, Steven Hyde, a merchant, the money. Hyde explains that all his fortunes are at sea. They go to a moneylender, Red, and borrow the sum but if it isn't paid back within three months the forfeit is a pound of Hyde's flesh. A tale of friendship, revenge, loyalty and love.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own That 70s Show or any of its characters. Nor do I own the play this story is based on. I own the idea behind bringing them together.

**A/N: **Hi T7S fans! :D I've missed you all and writing a lot. Sorry, my life is hectic at the moment so a lot of my stories are on pause but just for now. We started The Merchant of Venice in school and I love it so much. Shakespeare is a great writer. Brilliant, just pure brilliant. I love his writings and I was thinking why don't I do a T7S fic based on his play, The Merchant of Venice? This way I can keep writing and keep up with school. Anyways enjoy the first chapter; it's kinda just a background, in a way. It was inspired and based on the 2004 movie.

A special thank you to Prissy (nannygirl) for helping me with the cast! :)

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**Chapter 1: Rising Feelings of Love and Hate**

It was lovely October's day in Venice. The air was crisp and just on the cold side, but it wasn't bitter. It was refreshing. Perfect weather to listen to a man of God preaching furiously about the crime of usury while watching Jews being thrown from the Rialto Bridge into the canal by infuriated Christians. Among the bustling crowd was Steven Hyde, a wealthy young Christian merchant. Hyde had a soft looking face that was a pale, creamy colour. His eyes were water blue and curly brown hair. He was undeniably a good looking gentleman of Venice. He moved through the busy crowd in order to go back to his house.

"Hyde," a throaty voice boomed.

Hyde stopped and glanced over his shoulder to see a tall man with reddish-brown hair on his head accompanied by a red hat, which all Jews at to wear to mark them as a Jew while they were outside the walls of the ghetto. His skin was crumbling and his eyes were an easy hazel, the softest feature of his face.

This man was no other than Reginald Forman, better known as Red, a Jewish moneylender a usurer. Hyde had bailed out one too many people from his evil clutches in the past. Hyde spit out the salvia that was in his mouth and watched as the substance landed on the Jew's cheek before he walked forward and headed home.

Red turned back to his fellow Jews as he wiped the mark of disrespect of his cheek. A deep anger arose inside of him. If the young merchant hadn't pushed him to breaking point already, he unquestionably had now. Silently, Red swore that one day he would have his revenge.

* * *

Night had fallen quite quickly and there was a cold bite in the air. The Jews were praying in their synagogue while three young Venetians travelled in a gondola as it was their turn to guard the locked ghetto. The friends were one friend short but it didn't stop them from their mission.

Michael Kelso sat up at the front holding out a crackling torch to light the way. The tall and lanky young man could feel the warmth of the flame near his masked face and was afraid that he'd accidently burn himself and his perfect looks would be destroyed. His two friends, Eric Forman and Fez, who were accompanying him, also feared his clumsiness. He was one of the clumsiest men in all of Venice.

Soon they arrived at their long waited destination. One of them was full of anticipation, as he would get a glimpse of his much cherished lover. They docked the gondola and Eric and Fez hopped out of the unstable gondola and onto the concrete ground before helping Kelso out of their boat along with the wild flamed torch.

Kelso led the way to the synagogue, following the flame and the sound of the Jews praying. They waited outside until the doors of the synagogue opened revealing Jews of all ages in proper garments. Among them was Red, who, when he saw them, rolled his eyes before following his friends back to his house while glancing over his shoulder every now and then to a young woman, who was walking behind him.

The young woman was Laurie, his only child. Her hair was the colour of the sun and formed into long, loose curls. She was walking with her head down and her two hands holding onto the sides of her dress. The boys watched as the beautiful girl dropped what seemed to be a handkerchief and waited until all the Jews had cleared the area before rushing over and investigating with Fez in the lead. His legs carried him fast with his heart beating at the same pace. He got down on his hunkers and gently picked up the white handkerchief that had an L embroidered on it. The tanned skinned man lifted up his masque and brought it up to his nose, inhaling the sweet smelling scent of familiar perfume that made him tingle.

"Laurie . . ." he whispered dreamily with his eyes shut. He felt a big, lanky hand squeeze his shoulder and he looked up to see Eric's masked face and smiled at his friend's small but kind gesture.

Eric looked upon his very much in love friend. He had never seen Fez so happy since the moneylender's daughter came into his life. This made Eric happy too but also made him feel like his heart wasn't yet complete and that his life was still missing something.

That something was his one true love . . .

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**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed that. It was really just foundation for the story and so you could understand the tension between Jews and Christians at that time. By the way, I don't have anything against Jews it's just the way it was back in the 1500s, sadly. Also you are probably wondering about the pairings. Well the main pairing is Donna and Eric :) but it isn't really about the pairings as it is about the friendship between the four boys, mostly Hyde and Eric. And the other pairings are as follows: Laurie/Fez and . . . Jackie/Kelso. I am a HUGE Zenmasters shipper! Zennie for life. But it's just the way everything worked out. Please fellow Zennies, give it a chance.

Also for those who have read The Merchant of Venice here is the cast so far:

Hyde – Antonio

Red – Shylock

Kelso – Gratiano

Eric – Bassanio

Fez – Lorenzo

Laurie – Jessica

If you have any cast suggestions or anything feel free to tell me :D

Please review and tell what you thought of the first chapter and should I continue.

Peace ✌~ Mystery Girl


	2. A New Quest

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter.

**A/N: **Hello everyone! Hope you're all well. Thank God, its midterm! I hope you're all enjoying it so far. I _**love**_ Halloween. It's a great tradition over here. Speaking of Halloween, I'll have a one-shot (it could be longer) coming up soon with the working title Why is it "Happy" Halloween? Also, I hope to have Runaways up this week as well. I have a good lot of it written, so keep your eye out for both of them. Anyways, the part which you all came for, here is the second instalment to The Merchant of Venice. I have changed the Shakespearean/Elizabethan English to 70s English, except for the main and most famous quotes from the play and I have added and taken away from it so enjoy!

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**Chapter 1: A New Quest**

Hyde exhaled gloomily as he paced slowly up and down beside the dining table, "In sooth, I know not why I am so sad," he announced to his company, Leo and Theo, who both looked up from their breakfast slightly fazed that Hyde was talking about his feelings. "It wearies me; you say it wearies you; but how I caught it, found it, or came by it, what stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn."

He was in his villa that was, like most houses, beside the Venetian river. He and his friends, where in the multifunctional room, which was where he usually ate or was entertained. Leo and Theo were over for breakfast as they had noticed Hyde's weariness in the last two days and they wanted to know what was going on.

Hyde looked out the window to see many gondolas passing by, but not the one he was waiting on. He glanced over his shoulder as he continued with his speech, "And such a sappy fool sadness makes me that I have much ado to know myself."

"Your mind is on the ocean, man," Leo spoke, referring to Hyde's ships that were at sea.

Theo swallowed his ale for replying, "Hyde, if I had such a risk, my mind would be with my hopes abroad."

"I'd be sick, man, when I thought about the sea," Leo admitted as he nodded his head and buttered his bread roll, unaware of the eye roll he received from his cousin, Theo.

Hyde shook his head before looking out the simple glass window once again, "Nope, my ventures are not all in one place, I'm not Kelso," he replied before the corner of his lips slightly curled upwards when he saw his three friends in a gondola. The three of them were standing up, Eric in the front while Fez and Kelso were in the back, which was not a good idea. Hyde could see Eric's lips moving as if he was instructing them but the curly haired man knew the other two weren't paying attention as they were too preoccupied with shaking each other.

"Why, then you are in love," Theo teased smugly before he and Leo roared out in laughter.

Hyde quickly tore his gaze from the window and too his friends that were holding their sides and nearly in tears with laughter, "Fie, fie!" He then went back to looking at the window to see that Eric was now intercepting the fight between the two best friends. A small chuckled escaped his lips as Theo walked over beside him to see what was funny.

"Not in love either?" he asked with a perked eyebrow. "Then let us say you are sad, because you are not merry," he added as he placed his hat in his head and turned to face Leo. "Here comes Eric, your kinsman, Kelso and Fez," Theo took another swig of his ale to finish it as Leo placed his hat on his head. "Fare ye well."

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Eric and Fez hopped out of the gondola before helping their clumsy friend out of the boat so he wouldn't fall into the cold water, which he had done one too many times before. They jogged over to Hyde's villa, Eric leading, and entered through the columns before running up the stairs that lead to Hyde's living quarters. They entered the grand hall to see Hyde sitting at the top of the table with his head back, his brows furrowed slightly and new dark circles underneath his eyes. When he noticed them, he gave them a nod of acknowledgement.

"Eric, since you have found Hyde, we'll leave but at dinner-time, I pray you, have in mind where we must meet," Fez told him, his tone genuine and slightly rehearsed but then his brown eyes narrowed and irritation was laced in his voice, "Last time you were late and I couldn't order my sweet, Rhenish wine-"

"I won't fail you," he reassured him so he wouldn't make a long-winded speech about his thirst for all things alcohol and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Fez nodded before smiling and tapping Kelso on his broad shoulder, "Come along, Kelso," he said before turning on his heel and walking towards the staircase.

"You don't look well, Hyde; you have too much respect upon the world," Kelso announced, his voice bold and loud. Fez cringed when he heard his friend speak while Eric glared at the dim-witted boy. He needed to keep Hyde in a good mood. "You've changed, man."

Eric swiped his glove of his left hand and aimed it at the back at Kelso's head, to his surprise he hit his target dead on. Kelso glanced over his shoulder to see Eric glaring daggers at him and shrugged before going back to Hyde, who was looking slightly amused.

"I hold the world but as the world, Kelso; a stage where every man must play a part, and mine a sad one," he retorted genuinely, his eyes were gazing at a bread roll before they looked up, sparkling with mischief. "You're part is the fool."

Kelso looked at Hyde sourly before walking towards the exit, patting Fez's back as he passed him, "Come, good Fez," he said before looking over his shoulder with a small smile. "Fare ye well awhile, I'll end my speech after dinner."

"Farewell," Hyde called half-heartedly before sitting upright in his sight and looked at Eric, who was sitting two seats down from him and didn't look amused. "Is that anything now?" he asked smirking.

"Kelso speaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than any man in all Venice," the scrawny man explained bluntly.

Hyde nodded in agreement, his smirk still in place and shot Eric a knowing look, "Well," he said and watched as Eric's bright hazel eyes become downfallen. He stood up and headed to his room, gesturing for Eric to follow him, which he did. Hyde grabbed his masque from the nightstand beside his four poster bed and played with the string on the back of it as he sat down on the edge of his bed. "So which broad you have fallen in love with?"

Eric looked down at the floor, his eyes hiding his shame. He couldn't believe it had come to this once again. But what else could he do? He was going to lose her. He walked over to the dresser across the room, dragging his feet along as he felt Hyde's eyes on him. "You, out of all people, know how much I have disabled my estate," he whispered quietly before slowly glancing over his shoulder. "To you, Hyde, I owe the most in money . . . and in friendship," he turned around and walked towards the bed. "And from your friendship, I have a warranty to unburden all my plots and purposes how to get clear of the debts I owe."

"God, you're whipped already," Hyde remarked causing Eric to chuckle slightly and helped erase some of the butterflies from his stomach. He coughed into his hand and avoided Eric's eye contact. "You know my money is unlocked to you, you're like my brother," he whispered and shot a glare at Eric when he heard cooing leaving his lips. "And before you get mushy, who is she?"

Eric smirked before kneeling up on the bed beside Hyde, "In Belmont is a lady richly left and she is _fair_, and, fairer than that word," he said with love laced in his gentle tone as an image of her formed in his head from last time he saw her. He remembered her long, red hair that framed her delicate, pale face and her dainty. Her cheeks were rosy and her lips were dainty and pink. Her eyes were blue-green and could drown him anytime they wanted. "Of wondrous virtues: sometimes from her eyes I did receive fair speechless messages. Her name is Donna, nothing undervalued, to Cato's daughter, Brutus' Portia, nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth, for the four winds blow in from every coast renowned suitors, oh if I had but the means to hold a rival place with _one_ of them," he sighed softly.

Hyde slowly got up from the bed, his hands wrong together as he walked towards his stationary desk, "You know that all my fortunes are at sea," he said as Eric turned around in the bed and threw his legs over the side, watching Hyde with a frown present on his lips. "Neither have I money nor commodity to raise a present sum," he added causing Eric to feel like someone had just knifed him in the stomach and rested his head against one of the posters. Hyde's tone suddenly became upbeat in his own way and grabbed a pen before scribbling something down on a scroll of paper, "So go out and try what my credit can in Venice do," he said and waved the paper in attempt for the ink to dry as Eric walked over to him with wide eyes. "That shall be racked, even to the uttermost, to furnish thee to Belmont, to fair Donna."

He handed Eric the sheet and he took hold of it careful as if it was the most precious object in the whole world. He looked at Hyde grateful before pulling him into a big hug. Hyde's breath left his body from the shock of the sudden embrace but he slowly returned it, patting Eric on his back.

Eric was very grateful, even though the word grateful was an understatement. No words were good enough to describe his thanks to Hyde. Because of him, he could try to sway Donna.

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**A/N: **First, I want to apologize for all OCC-ness :/ *cringes* and for all the cheap jokes. I hope they weren't. I just wanted to keep them all in character, which is kinda hard today when it's a story based on Shakespeare's play, but nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed it and will check out my upcoming stories. :) Have a great Halloween! And please review, they are much appreciated, and tell me what you thought of this chapter.

Also, if you're in the mood for a good laugh check out The Beatles preforming a Shakespeare skit :') It is hilarious! I mean "where else can you see John dressed as a woman and playing Paul's love interest" (I quoted the account who posted it on YouTube)

Happy Halloween ✌~ Mystery Girl 911


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